For Hirayama Ikuo, Bamyan relics was one of his first destinations to take a look at the scenery along the Silk Road. Located in the Hindu Kush Mountains in central Afghanistan, Bamyan are large Buddhist relics composed of two great Buddhas and a large number of grotto temples. His deep feelings for Afghanistan can be seen from his cultural heritage conservation activities in the region. In 2001, two Buddhas in the east and west in Bamyan were destroyed by the Taliban forces, which also made Hirayma's efforts wound up in vain. He said,"The first place I went to in Afghanistan was the Bamyan Buddha in Western Kabul. The two great Buddhas,carved on the rocky hills and 53 and 38 meters in height respectively, were magnificent. The frescoes on them were even more remarkable.